#it honestly feels like the writers are intentionally tanking the show

[reyesranch]

I feel like atp even if there were plans to make bvddie canon theyre gone now. if tim minear is even half as petty as I am he would see that reaction and go u know what fuck you u actually don't get what you want now cause ur acting so goddamn entitled. like when tarlos fans got mad about the deleted scenes instead of appreciating them being released and his reaction was to say "okay fine then I just won't release deleted scenes anymore" (like I'm sure it was mostly a marketing decision but part of me thinks they intentionally released a scene about bucktommy just to prove a point.) idk man it's just really upsetting as a bi man to see the absolutely vile shit bvddie stans are saying and even tho I love the ship I now never want it to go canon cause they've fuckin ruined it

hey anon, at first let me agree with the fact that i do in fact also love bvddie a lot and i still love reading fics for them, the edits of them are fantastic and the fanart is S tier. it’s a great pairing with a lot of potential there IF the writers decided to ever go there but…

huge answer below

yeah, i agree. i honestly think before tommy was introduced again in 7x03 and the kiss in 7x04 that in my brain, bvddie was the most logical endgame for buck until it wasn’t.

i came into the show shipping bvddie much like a lot of new fans to the show but instead of hopping onto the tommy anti express hate train i found myself falling in love with buck and tommy together. at first i was still on board with bvddie still being endgame but as each episode aired after 7x04 i became faced with the reality of the situation (at least the way i see it) that bvddie might always be fanon and that’s ok because fandom keeps ships alive whether they’re canon or not. some of the biggest ships EVER are non-canon (i mean, cmon spirk? one of the OG MM ships?) so it didn’t really deter me from enjoying bvddie to this day. what HAS deterred me from interacting with bvddie content is toxic bvddies. i don’t like using the lil nicknames, idc if other ppl do, whatever, but i prefer just referring to certain kinds as just toxic plain and simple.

toxic shippers have made it difficult for anyone who multiships to interact with bvddie content. while there are incredibly nice & welcoming bvddie endgamers out there, it doesn’t overshadow the hateful ones in my online experience at least. i’ve blocked so many ppl over this ship discourse, which ive never had to do with any other fandom before the extent i have with 911. everyday i still find new ppl to block, you go under almost any comment section on the 911 insta and its filled with nasty comments abt tommy and only caring abt whether bvddie will be canon in s8. people projecting their hatred of tommy/lou onto the cast/crew of the show when it’s be said and proven time and time again that it’s quite the opposite. now im certain there’s bad apples in the bucktommy side as well, but from what ive seen online so far it is not nearly to the caliber of the bvddie side. ive blocked maybe a handful of bucktommy’s for being hateful towards eddie or being toxic overall, but ive probably blocked over 100+ toxic bvddies. i can only imagine it’d be worse if i was active on 911 twt which i’m not (thank god) but i have ventured into the tags before on there and let me tell you, it’s fucking horrifying how gross ppl are over there. twt is a cesspool for fandom anyways tho, the fucking asshole of fandom, it’s a septic tank really.

now im my own opinion which could be completely untrue of course, but just basing my thoughts on what i’ve seen online and interviews and such, tim seems to be really happy about bucktommy and idk how ppl believe otherwise. tim has expressed he loves LFJ and wanted him back on the show. tim showed up on set for the kiss scene. tim posting an entire youtube vibe abt bucktommy being soulmates that touches on the invisible string theory and explains how they accidentally found buck’s perfect match. tim sharing the deleted tommy scene is also huge but im waiting to see if he releases more (because i remember seen somewhere that he said there’d be more?) and if he does then great but it’s also still pretty telling to me after the whole karaoke fiasco.

oliver has said nothing but praises towards buck’s queer storyline. he quite literally said if you dont like it then watch something else. despite ppl saying he’s never interacted with bucktommy content online, that’s a lie because he has liked fanart of them.

aisha, kenneth & tracie have all expressed how they like tommy/lou and love working with him.

jlh said she loved bvddie before but is excited to see where buck and tommy go and then on an insta live said she doesn’t think bvddie is happening and was bombarded by toxic fans to the point of ending the live early.

ppl think it’s all some ruse to make it seem like bvddie is never happening so when it does happen it’s a “surprise” ……..

the nasty hate comments are doing nothing but exposing these types of ppl for who they are and that honestly to them, 911 is just the bvddie show to them. the people who run these social media accs for 911 are looking at these comments and cringing, they aren’t running to tim and abc being like “we must give these crazies what they want!” they’re mostly likely being ignored or honestly, as you said, being looked at and just reinforcing their decision to most likely make tommy buck’s endgame so as long as his schedule is open for filming.

what gets me the most about the hate these types of shippers spew online is how they aren’t embarrassed because they are so sooo convinced they will be right one day and therefore their insane, nasty behavior online will be justified. oliver stark literally left twt because of fans like this, people act like he was joking around, that he was shooting the shit probably because “he’s british and british people just have that kind of humor” which yes to a certain extent but let me just add these posts to set an example to why if oliver were still on twt he absolutely would not be happy with the way toxic bvddies are acting right now.

oliver (and ryan&other cast too) being positive abt bvddie never meant it was going to be canon of become canon one day. they do not decide these things, whether they believe it should or not. a lot of bvddie shippers come from previous fandoms where queerbaiting was there, where they were made fun of by actors of their ships, by the creators of the show! so i understand the frustration but oliver is not queerbaiting and buck is not a queerbait character when he quite literally is now confirmed bisexual and in a relationship with a man.

he’s just not the “correct” queer to these people. despite headcanons (hell even i hc eddie as queer!!) eddie so far, in canon, is not queer. by the end s7 he is still shown to not be over shannon and ruins his relationship with his son over this. ryan has stated in interviews he sees eddie as heterosexual, possibly pushing this because of the influx of ship discourse, and he’s glad to see a vulnerable and deep friendship that buck and eddie can have as a straight man and a queer man and how important he thinks it is.

every single thing that points to bvddie never going canon is like they’re being shot point blank in the chest. i get it, your ship not becoming canon sucks, but again, that is what fandom is for! shipping has never been about how canon smth is, there is 20k fics out there for bvddie and they aren’t canon. they can turn that into 40k, 100k, 1M if they really wanted to! instead they use their time and energy posting death threats, wishing death upon a gay character, bullying ppl online for enjoying a ship.

meanwhile from what ive seen bucktommys are rolling with goofy ass spy tommy theories created by antis and making jokes for our own fun.

so yes, i agree overall. they truly don’t deserve what they think they do. we didn’t whine and scream for a deleted scene. they did. we got ours without even expecting it and are having fun.

maybe if they behaved better i wouldn’t be so petty abt it. it’s a shame because of how much potential it has, unfortunately it is just not going that way atm. and even if it does one day, it is not because they paraded online with hate, it is because that’s the story tim and the others wanted to write and abc approved it.

🫳🎤

[royalarmyofoz]

buskerlenny replied to your post: me@tlmoe: gail and erica don’t belong to you...

this show has been on my watchlist for ages bc of those 2 - should i still watch?

yes?? i mean gail and erica are worth it but they don’t officially become a couple until 3x16. s1 is really hard to watch because forte’s character is THAT unlikable. and s4 is slowly surpassing s1. if that tells you anything

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis: General Hux

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Oh boy.

I think that Hux is a character who, more than anything, is emblematic of every single problem the prequel trilogy had. He had a great setup and first appearance, followed by one where he was just made a complete ass of, and then finally haphazardly thrown into a story where his entire character was betrayed for no apparent reason other than the writers just seemed to forget what the hell they were gonna do with him.

Motivation/Goals: This is where Hux really falls apart, and why he utterly fails as a villain. Ostensibly, Hux should be the loyal space military man we’ve seen done well before in characters like Tarkin. It’s a simple character type we’ve seen a lot in the franchise, but it’s tried and true. And to his credit, he seems to follow that in The Force Awakens, where he is actually set up extremely well, as most things in that movie were.

But then came The Last Jedi. This film marked the bumpy slide downward for the sequel trilogy, but Hux had smooth sailing all the way into the pit. In this film, he is treated less like the high-ranking official e is, and more like a complete and utter JOKE. He gets dragged across the floor and just belittled by his superiors at every turn, and by the film’s end it is abundantly clear he hates Kylo Ren. So this is going to set up some awesome internal power struggle in the First Order, right? WRONG. All that ends up happening is there are a few scenes where Hux looks pissy at Kylo, then it’s revealed he’s betraying the First Order to the rebels because he hates Kylo Ren that much, and then he is unceremoniously blasted away in the very next scene.

Literally nothing about his betrayal makes any sense because if nothing else, Hux has been established as loyal to the First Order. Much like everything in The Rise of Skywalker, they might have been able to pull this off if they bothered to explain anything, but his pouty, whiny little bitch-boy response of “I don’t care who wins, I just want Kylo Ren to LOSE!” is such an utterly demeaning and pathetic excuse that it just tanks his entire character and makes it a relief when he is blasted away.

Performance: Domhnall Gleeson is a good actor, and at least in The Force Awakens he’s really giving it his all, bringing a terrifying intensity to that scene where he gives a speech to the gathered First Order before Starkiller Base is activated. But after that first film, his performance just feels… almost phoned in. Hux is just a very dull, worthless character after that.

Final Fate: Hux’s death is fitting, seeing as he is a cowardly bastard with no dignity whatsoever; Pryde just immediately executes him on the spot without a second thought a single scene after Hux has revealed he is the mole in the First Order. It honestly saved the Resistance the trouble, because there’s no doubt Hux would be executed for war crimes after the war was over anyway. Kinda makes you wonder what the point of him being a mole was in the first place, to be honest.

Oh, right, there was no point.

Best Scene: The solitary moment where Hux manages to achieve greatness is during his terrifying Nazi-esque First Order speech in The Force Awakens as he revs up the Starkiller Base to blow up the Hosnian system. In fact, Hux really is only as bad as I think he is as a character because not a single film afterwards even attempts to try and emulate or match how Hux is portrayed in this scene. If they had ran with this characterization, we could have had someone on the level of Tarkin, Pryde, or Krennic instead of the idiotic slapstick punching bag who gets crapped on by his superiors every scene.

Best Quote: Just turn the subtitles on for his speech up there, that’s his unironic best quote. In an ironic sense, his petulant, whiny little reasoning for betraying literally everything he stands for despite being an unrepentant war criminal who would be executed at war’s end is hilarious for how absolutely stupid, awful, and juvenile it is: “I don't care if you win. I need Kylo Ren to lose!”

Final Thoughts & Score: Hux is, without a doubt, one of the worst villains ever, and unlike Palpatine he doesn’t have much to fall back on. Yes, Domhnall Gleeson is a good actor, but he is no Ian McDiarmid, that’s for sure, and he is entirely unable to salvage the character when things go south. It doesn’t help that, unlike Palpatine, who has three or four movies under his belt where he was hilarious and awesome as well as several other appearances in stuff like the animated shows or that one Kinect game where he straight up gets off his throne and busts a move (which is totally canon, I promise), Hux really just has three films where he just steadily gets worse as the series progresses, culminating in a third appearance that just cements him as one of the most dumbass characters conceived for this franchise.

It’s really baffling to think what they were trying to do with him. They set him up as a really cool and threatening military villain in the first film, then have him survive unlike his betters Tarkin and Krennic, and then just spend an entire film treating him like a complete and utter joke only to have him, in his final film, pull an utterly nonsensical and counterintuitive betrayal out of his ass that completely spits in the face of everything that was established about the guy up until that point. A 1/10 almost seems too nice for him, but let me tell you something: a 1 isn’t merely for a villain who sucks, that’s what 2 is for. 

No, a 1 is a villain who has utterly botched potential AND ALSO sucks. Malekith could have been cool, as his comic counterpart shows, but they squandered him; Dudepeel could have been an awesome cinematic Deadpool as the Ryan Reynolds performance earlier in the film showed, but the character was intentionally sabotaged; Rowan from Ghostbusters could have been an actual fun and funny villain while still being a jab at whiny entitled dudebros if the writing was any better; and Hux could have been a cool and threatening military villain if they didn’t just turn him into an utter joke and then totally mischaracterize him for no good reason. It really just is a fact that everyone who went in to The Rise of Skywalker came out infinitely worse; maybe I should be glad that Phasma was killed in The Last Jedi, because instead of being disappointing wasted potential she could have ended up like Hux.

But hey, while we’re here, let’s talk about the character in The Rise of Skywalker who is Hux done right:

Psycho Analysis: Allegiant General Enric Pryde

He’s ruthless. He’s efficient. He sees through lies and he gets things done. Enric Pryde is an utter badass and the exact sort of evil military commander Star Wars deserves as a villain.

Motivation/Goals: The Rise of Skywalker keeps things really vague since it is a film incapable of expanding on any idea, no matter how good it is, in a satisfying way, but what we do get is that Pryde is as loyal as they come, having served the Empire back in the day under Palpatine. He is just here to execute the will of the First Order and then the Final Order, no matter what, be it under Kylo Ren or Palpatine. Sweet, simple, effective, and never once betrayed by the story. Take that, Hux!

Performance: Richard E. Grant portrays Pryde, and he is just completely and utterly dead serious. There’s no jokes at his expense, nothing to mock, he is completely and utterly committed to his evil actions. I really don’t think I could possibly say it better than TVTropes did:

Final Fate: Of course, he gets blown up when that whole random CGI fleet that showed up with Lando comes in. Characters either went into The Rise of Skywalker and came out crappy or they died. There’s really no in between.

Best Scene: When he kills Hux, of course! It’s just a perfect showcase of his character, and it rids us of one of the sequel trilogy’s biggest embarrassments.

Final Thoughts & Score: Pryde is not the most deep or complex villain, nor is he utilized to his fullest potential; his past with Palpatine is largely unexplored, and he was just created for this movie, meaning he had absolutely no buildup whatsoever. Despite all that, though, he still manages to be cooler, more efficient, and more ruthless than any other villain in the whole sequel trilogy. He’s got limited screentime, was made entirely for this film, and is pretty much the bare minimum for what a great evil general should be in the franchise, but Richard E. Grant’s stoic and dead serious performance combined with the character’s crowning achievement – killing Hux – makes him a 7/10 in my book. 

The sad thing is that he’s probably the best major antagonist in the sequel trilogy, which is frankly kind of pathetic. And even more sad is how utterly he outdoes Hux, simply by being what Hux should have been all along and what The Force Awakens was clearly building him up as. 

[whatflowersmaybloom]

Unpopular opinion:

Alright I’ve been reluctant to post this because a didn’t want stans attacking me but let me be devil’s advocate and say that episode 4 wasn’t that bad. Lets unpack everything:

Dany:

It’s barely been two days and I’m already tired of reading posts acting like dark!dany makes no sense. And don’t get me wrong, I love dany but let’s not pretend this is coming out of left field. She’s been on a slippery slope since she stepped foot back in Westeros because she expected to get there and be handed the IT but it didn’t work out that way and it was a rude awakening for her. Yeah, she was born in Westeros but she left when she was an infant. She never lived there so to the people of Westeros she’s a foreign queen. Yes, her army and her dragons were instrumental against the AotD, but Westeros does not owe her the IT. The north is not xenophobic they just don’t know her. As for everything in episode 4, Kit described it as “Shakespearean”. I definitely think he was referring to Macbeth, and ambition as a folly. She’s been working toward this goal, and the closer she gets to it, she is becoming more and more impatient. She didn’t listen to Sana’a telling her that her troops needed rest because she thinks Sansa is working against her (and tbh I really don’t know what Sansa’s goal is) but in this instance Sansa was right. They were in not condition to start another fight. Danny’s ambition will be her undoing. Also, no, I don’t think she is becoming a mad queen. That is unabashedly and unquestionably Cersei. The way I interpreted everything was that, her ambition toward taking the IT caused her to make poor decisions that cost her greatly and that, in her grief she will end up doing something she deeply regrets. I don’t think they are framing her as a mad queen and the only people I’ve seen with that impression are dany fans who are worried their fav is going out as a villain. I understand that every character has lost things, but for Dany, she lost her unchallenged claim, half her army, Jorah, Rhaegal, and Missandei pretty much all at once. She is blinded by grief but she is not “mad”. Everything is probably gonna end up happening so fast that she won’t realize the gravity of what she’ll have done until it’s too late, but she won’t be a villain. Also I’m not addressing the leaks because unless and until they actually end up happening there’s no reason to be upset about it because it might not end up happening. That said, Missandei deserved better.

Missandei

While I agree that it’s fucked up to use a black woman’s death to drive a white woman’s plot, I’m almost certain that was the 3rd wtf moment grrm told the writers about. The other two (shireen’s death & “hold the door”) involve children and Missandei is a child in the books. I’m not saying it was an okay thing to do but it will likely happen in the books as well one way or another.

Jaime/Braime

It looked like character regression, yes, but d&d love to make it look like a character regression and then turn it around in the end. I’m not saying it’s good writing I’m just saying it’s an obvious red herring. Honestly, I was half expecting Jaime to finish that monologue with “and now I’m gonna have to go kill that horrid bitch” when he was telling Brienne about all the shitty things he’s done for Cersei. We shall see.

Arya/Gendrya

Same thing as Jaime. Arya clearly loves, or at least has feelings for Gendry. She just doesn’t want to be a traditional “lady”. To me it looked like she was on board until he said “be the lady of storms end”. She thinks it would pigeonhole her into a certain role. She also wants to finish her list and thinks she will die in the process so she rejected gendry to make it easier on him. It actually makes me less worried about their future that she rejected him because we all know that once anyone on this show makes plans for the future they’re pretty much doomed. I’d be worried about her fate if she hadn’t rejected him. The same goes for Braime. If Jaime left Brienne on good terms I’d be worried about their fates, but as of now I think they’ll be fine.

Everything else:

It just seems like unnecessary nitpicking at this point. It’s become cool to hate on the show now and honestly it’s tiresome. Like complaining that Jon didn’t say goodbye to ghost. It has no bearing on the plot y’all are just finding things to pick apart. Also, Sansa never said she was grateful she was raped?? She literally just stated the obvious that the things she’s been through have changed her. That she’s not a little girl anymore. The same way Bran didn’t necessarily forgive Jaime for crippling him, he just stated that he would be a different person if not for that. It’s not abuse apologism it’s just stating a fact. Also, Jon doesn’t have stronger claim than Dany because he’s a man he has a stronger claim because he’s Rhaegar’s child. He’s still have a stronger claim if he was a woman, or if Dany was a man. Because that’s how lines of succession work. That’s why Prince George is higher in line than Prince Harry irl.

Anyway, the episode wasn’t that bad y’all are just impatient and want everything to pay off now when there’s still two 80-minute episodes left. Everything will pay off in the end.

Also, intentionally tanking the IMDb and rotten tomatoes ratings is just childish.

[buildridernews]

[Review] Kamen Rider Build - Episodes 25-28

Fashionably late as always. But here we are with March's episodes, using a more episode-by-episode format that I've put to use with Sentai reviews. I hope that it makes my reviews a little more concise and less ramble-y. 

Episode 25: “The Idol's Awakening” (アイドル覚醒)

We left off with one hell of a cliffhanger as Rogue and the gear boys take on the heroes, only to be stopped by a glowy-eyed Misora. As it turns out, the weird bangle she wears is giving her even more powers, allowing her to manipulate the Skywall and throw Rogue and co into another location.

And Soichi is a little too honest for just one moment as he admits that the bangle is from Mars, which he got for Misora - prrrobably AFTER getting possessed by aliens since I can't see an astronaut doing that otherwise. In any case, he suggests that these powers are unexpected and insists he won't be hurting his own daughter, but since I'm running with that whole "Soichi is actually an alien" theory I am eyeing him with suspicion at every word.

Also, real talk? Misora sees the fucking death of a civilization everytime she makes Fullbottles. Father of the year.

With Pandora's Box back in their possession, Sento and Ryuga devise a clever plan to hide it in a location and figure out who among Toto is a spy, and while they did pin a certain person, it seems that Gentoku knew the actual location. Akaba joins his crow bros in Smash heaven as Rogue defeats him, making me about as sad as Kazumi since I loved that trio.

It's time for one of those lovely "The Riders who were fighting each other get to transform together" moments, then the trio tries their damndest to beat Rogue, only for Misora to show up and cause him to successfully escape with Pandora's Box and make me question if a bingo game could be made for each episode.

As Build was using the Hazard Form during all of this, he ends up pinning Misora to the wall, whose bangle... does a thing.

Episode 26: “Treacherous Deathmatch” (裏切りのデスマッチ)

With Seito in possession of Pandora's Box, it's time for another competition, this time with THREE matches, because every good shonen anime needs a fighting tournament. Wait.

This time it's Build, Cross-Z and Grease VS Rogue and the gear bros, and they have a lot of training to do in order to even stand a chance of throwing a punch. Sento realizes that since Misora's bangle seemed to cause him to snap back to reality while in an overflow state, he needs to figure out a device that can do that itself.

Which leads to what looks like it's going to be a recap of the show, but Misora interrupts it to make a solid observation about how all of Build's strongest forms involve RabbitTank. She creates a white Rabbit Fullbottle (officially titled the Low Rabbit Fullbottle on the site), giving Sento the idea to use Rabbit and Rabbit together. Which eventually leads to a new gadget...

... Meanwhile, the battle begins. Grease fights Engine Bro, with a come-from-behind hot-blooded shonen speech followed by a narrow victory. After he and Cross-Z punched each other for a while off screen, it seems like they finally stand a chance against these bros. It was a super fun fight!

Of course, this is followed by Cross-Z who thinks he's gonna be fighting Remocon Bro, until the guy transforms using the two Gear items, transforming into... Hell Bro.

Episode 27: "The Comeback Hero" (逆襲のヒーロー)

Cross-Z does his best to take on Hell Bro, and surprisingly, he does a pretty great job. However, even though Grease had it in his head that these two have no sense of comradery, Hell Bro reveals that his brother will potentially be killed by Namba if they don't win this war... which is a very obvious lie, but Cross-Z is not the brains of this series. So he ends up losing and giving them a victory, which they rub in his face.

In a move that shows maturity, Ryuga accepts that he got duped and lets them know that Sento has arrived to take an easy victory. While that may seem true from their perspective, Sawa has been doing some pretty fishy stuff these past couple of episodes, and it looks like she's given the data for Build's upcoming form to Namba, who will use it to install countermeasures into Gentoku's Sclash Driver. It's about this point I was feeling pretty bad about Sawa's character development since she was doing so well up to this point...

Despite that concern, Build begins the battle in his Sparkling Form instead, with an artsy out-of-costume conversation between him and Rogue about their ideals, mostly consisting of Gentoku talking shit to Sento as if he has all of Katsuragi's memories and motives when THE-MAN-IS-GONE. That's one thing that kinda bugs me about Gentoku, but I don't consider it bad writing - I think of it as a flaw in his character. These writers are good about addressing things so it's only a matter of time before someone tells him how futile it is to keep having a beef with a dead man.

Build surprises everyone as he uses his new gadget to transform into RabbitRabbit Form, an armored version of RabbitTank Hazard Form that's in a controlled version of the overflow state, meaning Build is now at his strongest with the ability to strategize - and to embrace the rabbit motif, he's also got fast reflexes in this form! But as we saw before, Namba knows how to pull some tricks...

Episode 28: "The Genius Arrives With a Tank" (天才がタンクでやってく��)

Shortly after Build seemed to get the upper hand, taking this fight outside, Rogue's countermeasures allow him to combat the new form. Which I guess amounts to a strategy guide for Build’s fighting style. In any case, he keeps Build busy as Sawa reveals to Ryuga and Misora the fact that she was not only the one who leaked the data to Namba... she is also one of the Namba Children, which were essentially raised in a very brainwash-y way. Pretty eerie stuff... continuing Build’s trend of bringing in some far-too-real elements. 

But we also see some conversation with Sento we didn't see before, proving that these writers are awesome. Sawa revealed to Sento that she was actually supposed to commit suicide a while ago as part of Namba's long-con, but that whole upbringing didn't stand a chance against Sento's love and peace mentality.

As an aside, Namba kidnapped Nabeshima's family as a power move, and Sawa let Kazumi in on the scheme, giving him the location so that he could sneak in and save them. I'm honestly very impressed with how involved this man and his family are after all this time, kudos to them for having such staying power.

Once Sawa gives Build the signal, he decides to stop being overpowered by Rogue, revealing that he was just stringing him along. Shaking his new gadget once more, it allows him to transform into TankTank Form! This is a strong armored form that Namba wasn't aware of, meaning Rogue has no countermeasures.

Proving once more that he is the most clever Rider, Sento and Sawa intentionally let RabbitRabbit Form get leaked to Namba, while leaking out TankTank Form. Which ultimately made me love Sawa again, knowing that she has been such a wonderful spy. And in what I'd like to imagine was another thing Build left out, he delivers an even stronger finisher with his weapon, finally putting an end to the fight and giving Toto the victory!

Seito's prime minister doesn't take it all very well, but Namba's head honcho dismisses his anger, as he's got bigger fish to fry. Stalk arrives and kills the prime minister, then uses his morphing powers to give the Namba guy his face, allowing him to act as the prime minister and start an entirely new war... how ominous.

The show has been moving at one hell of a pace. We've entered several different mini wars in the past few months and it's all really fascinating to see. I'm looking forward to what comes next... in the whole month of episodes I still have to see! Soon enough. But first I’m gonna check out more of the current Sentai. 

[aion-rsa]

Mass Effect: Every Legendary Edition Squad Companion Ranked

https://ift.tt/3tH2zJa

Along with the promise that our decisions would have galaxy-wide consequences (which turned out to be…mostly true), one of Mass Effect‘s biggest selling points was the ability to command a ship and assemble a squad of companions that would join us on our journeys and help us fulfill our Star Trek dreams.

While Shepard is the star of the Mass Effect trilogy, it’s hard to deny that some of the game’s most compelling characters are the ones who serve alongside him aboard the Normandy and stand by his side during the game’s most dangerous adventures. Many Mass Effect players know their crew better than they know their family, which is both a testament to the quality of the game’s characters and a testament to the quality of awkward Thanksgiving dinner guests everywhere.

Which squad member is the best, though? As you’ve probably guessed, that’s the question that we’ll try to answer as we rank the various companions that Shepard can add to his away crew at various points in the game. While characters that couldn’t be added to your away team at some point in the game weren’t eligible for consideration (sorry Joker), we hope this list will remind you of your own Mass Effect adventures and the friends you made along the way.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

22. Kaidan Alenko

To be fair to Kaidan, someone had to fill the “standard human dude” squad companion spot in the original Mass Effect, and Kaidan is nothing if not a seat filler.

By and large, though, there’s just not much interesting about Kaidan. He rarely rises above “serviceable” despite clear attempts at making him more interesting.

21. Jacob Taylor

Honestly, the only things that elevate Jacob above Kaidan are a few lines that may be unintentionally hilarious but at least help you remember him.

Other than that, Jacob stands as another sad example of how the Mass Effect team sometimes struggled to make human companions as exciting as their alien alternatives.

20. Nyreen Kandros

Nyreen doesn’t make her (in-game) appearance until Mass Effect 3’s Omega DLC, which means that it’s kind of hard to rank a character who appears so late in the game and only serves as a squadmate for a brief period of time.

This self-sacrificing leader of a mercenary group might have been more interesting if she hung around a little longer, but she’s just not around enough to make a lasting impression.

19. Morinth

Maybe this placement is just a tad harsh on Morinth, but because she essentially replaces someone I’d consider to be a much more interesting character, it’s hard to rank her much higher than this. 

Her introduction is interesting and the results of her romance storyline are tragically hilarious, but the ways that Morinth could have been a much more well-rounded character are just never explored as often as they should have been. 

18. James Vega

Vega’s “meathead” moments and pretty good (if incredibly brief) eventual romance storyline elevate him over Kaidan and Jacob, but it’s understandable if you struggled to recall who, exactly, James Vega is.

BioWare has said that Vega was meant to be something of a new player surrogate, which is kind of odd given his relatively late debut and the ways that design decision ultimately makes him come across as somewhat vacant.

17. Aria T’Loak

Aria gets a slight nod over Nyreen by virtue of her “Pirate Queen” title (which is awesome) and for being one of the best parts of Mass Effect 3’s DLC.

However, the truth of the matter is that Aria just isn’t around enough as a squadmate to comfortably rank her above some of the regulars who better define this series.

16. Zaeed Massani

As a battle-tested veteran turned mercenary who always has a story to tell and a scar to show, Zaeed really should be more interesting than he ultimately is. 

Unfortunately, Zaeed rarely rises above the level of standard tough guy. He feels like he belongs as a side character in a Gears of War game, and he never really has that defining moment that elevates him above the level of serviceable archetype.

15. EDI

EDI’s highly sexualized design is sometimes a point of contention, as is this A.I.’s story arc which sometimes tried too hard to examine the philosophical implications of its eventual physical existence.

Having said all of that, the relationship between Joker and EDI is often too good to ignore. EDI may fall a bit short of being as complete a character as they could have been, but they’re often a tremendous source of comedic relief.

14. Javik

Ranking Javik is tough. As the last of the Protheans, Javik is an inherently interesting character whose bitter and combative personality is genuinely hilarious most of the time.

It’s just a shame that Javik is introduced so late in the franchise. He’s not really given the time to develop that a character like him needs, and it just feels like the writers sometimes struggled to work his character into the bigger plot points. 

13. Samara

I completely understand if Samara’s quiet nature and sometimes cold vibes make her one of your least favorite characters. She’s certainly not for everyone.

However, there’s something to be said about Samara’s strict moral code and how it allows her to offer a consistent point of view whenever you’re struggling between decisions. Samara’s incredible backstory and always functioning (if sometimes strange) moral compass makes her a compelling companion.

12. Grunt

In a lot of ways, Grunt is the better version of Zaeed Masani. As a kind of “Alpha Krogan,” Grunt is practically a tank who talks. It’s often hilarious to watch him boil down complex issues into whatever solution allows him to employ the most force. 

Grunt kind of gets lost in the shuffle a bit after Mass Effect 2, but his hilarious appearance in Mass Effect 3’s Citadel DLC helps ensure the character “ends” on a high note.

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11. Miranda Lawson

Miranda Lawson proves to be something of a mixed bag as far as squad companions go. At the very least, her mysterious intentions and potentially heated romance storyline make her one of Mass Effect 2’s most interesting additions.

While it feels like Mass Effect 3 could have found more room to expand Miranda’s story, she ends up being a pretty fleshed out (no pun…ah, never mind) character at the end of the day, and the events of Mass Effect 3’s Citadel DLC certainly go a long way towards offering her a more satisfying “conclusion” than she would have otherwise received. 

10. Liara T’Soni

I’d argue that Liara benefits from one of the most complete and satisfying character arcs, but there are certainly some who feel that Liara’s intentionally disconnected nature and surprising (some say unlikely) plot twists make her hard to like.

In any case, the thing that really puts Liara over-the-top is her optional romance storyline and the events of Mass Effect 2‘s Shadow Broker DLC. If you take the time to get to know her, you’ll likely find that Liara is one of the most complete and fascinating companions in the Mass Effect trilogy. 

9. Kasumi Goto

I’ll say right away that the biggest problem with Kasumi is that there’s just not enough of her. That’s kind of a compliment, but it’s a detriment when you consider that many Mass Effect players may decide to stick with other companions and ignore most of Goto’s relatively short arc. 

With that out of the way, it must be said that Goto is an incredible character. She’s basically a rogue in the Mass Effect universe, which not only makes her a pretty cool squadmate from a storytelling perspective but grants her a unique set of combat abilities. I also have to give a shoutout to her Stolen Memory DLC appearance which is one of the best Mass Effect adventures ever.

8. Ashley Williams

Ashley Williams has to be the most divisive major companion in the Mass Effect trilogy. Not only is she initially somewhat underdeveloped, but her hostility towards multiple alien races has led some to call her xenophobic and sometimes something worse.

However, there’s something to be said for how Willaims has always come across as one of the most complete companions in the Mass Effect universe from a storytelling perspective. She feels like someone who exists even and lives a life even when Shepard isn’t interacting with her, and her appearance in Mass Effect 3 shows just how much she’s grown over the years by virtue of her (and your) adventures.

7. Legion

Legion initially comes across as a cheap nod to Star Trek: TNG’s Borg (mixed with a little Data and some other sci-fi characters), but spend a little time with this Geth, and you’ll find that they’re so much more than that.

Legion’s attempts at understanding the nature of its existence is less of a Pinnochio situation and more the result of its ability to process incredible amounts of data and turn that information into new outlooks. It’s tough to say whether Legion is more philosophical or analytical, but it’s that dynamic that makes it so compelling.

6. Thane

As an expert assassin who feels morally conflicted about almost every kill, Thane’s “samurai-like” lifestyle and complex views are more than enough to make him one of the companions that you’ll often want by your side.

Yet, it’s Thane’s disease that makes him a truly classic companion. What could have been a cheap emotional ploy instead becomes the storytelling device that strengthens Thane’s internal debates and regrets over how his actions will affect his distant son (among others). He’s just a great character.

5. Jack 

I love how Jack is a fundamentally damaged person whose life is the product of one bad turn after another, but I understand if you feel that her earliest hours are trying too hard to present her as an overly edgy character.

However, Jack grows in a way that showcases just how talented the Mass Effect writers were at the top of their games. She warms up to the rest of the party as she comes to terms with the events of her life, but she never magically becomes an entirely different person. She’s also ridiculously powerful in the best way.

4. Mordin Solus

In some ways, Mordin Solus is Mass Effect’s Spock. Both are highly intelligent, both sometimes suffer from a “detached” view of others, and both are funny in a way that no other person around them quite is.

The biggest differences are that Solus is a hell of a singer who almost always has a tune in his head, and he’s partially responsible for countless deaths. It’s when you realize that Mordin’s “quirky” nature is the product of a darker mind than you could ever imagine that he becomes one of the franchise’s best characters, but Mordin is almost always entertaining no matter how much time you spend with them.

3. Tali

I could talk about Tali’s incredible backstory, great design, or even how she’s the co-star of one of Mass Effect’s best romances, but the thing about Tali that ultimately stands out is how she has one of the few stories that remain compelling across all three games in the Mass Effect trilogy.

There’s been a lot of talk about how Mass Effect 3 failed to end the series in a way that satisfyingly built on more of the player’s decisions, but Tali’s story showed that the Mass Effect team was more than capable of utilizing the trilogy’s ambitious format to weave a complex story across multiple entries.

2. Garrus

I’ve never met the Mass Effect player who doesn’t at least kind of like Garrus, and I’m not sure I ever will. He is not only Shepard’s right-hand man through much of the trilogy; he’s one of Mass Effect’s most complicated characters. 

Many of the things that are so easy to love about Garrus don’t change throughout the trilogy, but as Garrus’ situations change wildly across those three games, we get to see him shine in a variety of roles as we learn more about how one of the coolest characters in the galaxy often struggles to find where he belongs if he’s not by the player’s side.

1. Urdnot Wrex

At the risk of making too many Star Trek comparisons, it has to be said that Wrex will remind many players of one of TNG’s best characters: Worf. Both are members of a seemingly violent alien race whose intelligence, warmth, and leadership immediately leave most players to realize that the assumptions they made about them may not be entirely fair. 

Not only is Wrex one of the clearest early examples that the Mass Effect universe is more complicated than you maybe thought it would be, but he’s one of the few companions in the first game whose incredible backstory and various conflicts may leave you wondering if he should have been the star of this impressive show.

The post Mass Effect: Every Legendary Edition Squad Companion Ranked appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[manifestoe-blog]

Thanks again, Bob Boilen: “Boys, Boys, Boys, II Men”

Hey there! Welcome to the new series, for me, BY me - I hope I enjoy. This is  dedicated to Bob Boilen, the whole team there and the NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert Series. I hope you feel special Bob Boilen, because I am concentrating and actively stretching my attention span for you.

I am no schmicky writer, and i’m not even the best listener. I say on an almost daily basis that I have the attention span of a squirrel, and while that is definitely true at times, sometimes I think that I am just a bit afraid of concentrating, or not being able to. I’m not following, but I hope you aren’t either - because it ain’t about me. Its all about the tuuuuuunes.

NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts are uploaded literally all the freaking time. I didn’t realise just how many existed, and how frequently they happen, until I did and my mind was thrown into a soft plush wall by subscribing to their Youtube channel. It started to overwhelm me to be honest, because I wasn’t really sure what to do with them. So - I’ve decided to share some of my favourites every now and then. Here we go!

The first list of Tiny Desk Concerts is all about the boys. The following six videos are some of my favourite male performances of this series so far. In no particular order, from Phoenix to Steve Martin, these guys have brought me ample joy, goo and tears. 

1. Phoenix 

Starting with the earliest one on the list, this 2009 performance is summed up with the first line sung in the video: ‘so sentimental’. So dang sentimental.

When I was 14, I started my first proper part-time job at my local cinema. I worked there for probably under a year, and was incredibly stressed for a 14 year old who made popcorn and sold reward cards and concession tickets on a Tuesday night. While it was a pretty toxic job for an anxious teenager, I did get 50c movie tickets, and a whopping $140 a week on a $9.05 hourly rate. I used to spend the majority of my weekly pay check at JB Hi-Fi, and some record stores in the city, and even took days off school to frequent them when I was overwhelmed by personal boy troubles. One of the first albums I remember buying that I didn’t know prior to purchasing it, was Bankrupt! by Phoenix. If I am being entirely honest, I rarely listened to it in comparison to the ones that I had known. However, it was the first time I realised that I could buy albums that I knew nothing about - and that felt pretty dang good.

I’m glad that I had that realisation, and i’m glad this performance exists, i’m glad it reminds me of being 14, and I’m glad that they look like my 14 year old awkward boy dream.

2. Tweedy 

My housemate Roshan recently bought me the Tweedy album Sukirae, and it is consistently melting my heart. I feel confident in saying that it is one of my favourite albums of the year for my ears. I’m three years late, to both the album and this video, but the second I heard the start of “Wait for Love”, I was sold. Then again, as Jeff Tweedy and his son Spencer sing the ‘woo hoo hoos’ on “Low Key”, I was sold x2. Done done deal. Top 10. Gimme Gimme. Bury me in father son music love.

3. The Shins 

I debated with myself whether or not to include this performance, as it doesn’t make me tick as much as some of the others on this list. However, there is something really engaging about seeing James Mercer standing alone performing three incredibly special songs. The Shins have been a large part of my life since I was a kid, largely because of my association of them to my brother and spiderman, as well as their role in my adolescence. Hearing the songs, “Mildenhall”, and “Young Pilgrims” in this context fills my heart right up. However, its his performance of “The Fear” that truly hits the sweet spot. This song in particular song from their new album Heartworms has quickly set itself in stone in my favourite tracks of the year, and its just darn special seeing him singing it.

4. Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers 

LOOK. This one honestly needs no introduction. I’m going to use my self control here, so you can just have the good fun times with Steve Martin. Just you two.

5. Shakey Graves 

To me, live performance video series are one of the most interesting things on the internet. Sometimes you get a video of someone you’ve never heard of, and thats your doorway to their recorded work - voila! new good lovely band for your ears to take a swim in. Other times, you have a band that is incredibly close to your heart that do a live performance you didn’t expect, and you lose your bloomin mind. And sometimes, you find an artist that becomes an exclusive live performance love of yours. They fill the same part of your brain as a favourite film or tv show, because there is something there that you can’t quite get in their recorded work. Listening to their album is like listening to a soundtrack, still beautiful, transportive, but only reminiscent of something you’ve seen.

For me, that last one is Shakey Graves. I’m a bloody big fan of the Shakey Graves’ Audiotree live performance, and in all honesty I had intentionally avoided his Tiny Desk Concert in fear that it wouldn’t match up to his manic, sweaty, solo tank top Audiotree wildness. Well - pinch my ass and call me Judy because I am a flipping fool.

Having his band’s accompaniment allows for a tenderness, humour and peace in his voice that I hadn’t yet heard prior to this performance. One of my highlights is as he sings the line, “I used to be an Only Son” as he looks across to his bandmates as his brothers.   Give it a listen, give it a look, give it a lovin’.  Basically, I think he is the darn sweetest and warmest. 

6. Yusuf/Cat Stevens 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoPoI1IwcTw

The entirety of this Tiny Desk Concert is incredibly emotional. To me, it captures the  motivation behind this project. The highlights are too extensive to list, but definitely are central to Bob’s introduction and sentiment.

Recently, I spent a few months trying to convince myself, and those around me, that Father and Son by Yusuf/Cat Stevens was a happy song - and I am now aware that the need to prove that point was stemming from my confusion and personal journey with the father figures in my life. After a good while of trying, and a seated performance of it at Karaoke for my housemate’s birthday, I made my peace with the sadness of the song.

However, this morning as I watched this performance, I found myself weeping like a small child. Usually I wouldn’t be alarmed, as Father and Son has that effect. However, this morning I had the realisation that my whole life I have heard the entirety of the song from the perspective of the child, and only this morning heard it from the perspective of a father, and then as dialogue. For a moment, the happiness that I was trying to so desperately suck out of this song was thrown in my face like a wet fish. It was like feeling my father’s hand on my shoulder and realising all that I want to achieve, hear and see is already completely existing within my body because I am apart of the world and the world is apart of me. Feeling this immense sense of comfort, empathy, and realisation was better than the feeling I was hoping to feel a few months ago.

SO with that, thanks again, Bob Boilen.

[stevenuniversallyreviews]

Episode 55*: Shirt Club

“This sounds like a very abstract problem.”

For fear of echoing Buck Dewey’s condescending assessment of Steven’s drawing, there’s just something endearing about a cartoon about making art. Animation as a medium is remarkable for how many types of artists are involved: for instance, Steven Universe exists as a collaboration between visual artists, writers, songwriters, actors, singers, composers, and instrumental musicians. It’s a crew that by necessity has a passion for art in many forms, and episodes like Shirt Club let this passion shine. (See also: James Baxter the Horse from Steven Universe’s big brother Adventure Time.)

Many of the artists behind Steven Universe have multiple roles: most famously, its storyboarders are also its scriptwriters. Some boarders even pull triple duty, like guitarist Jeff Liu and voice actor Lamar Abrams, who brings Buck to life. It’s fitting, then, that Shirt Club revolves around guitars and Buck as Steven navigates his way through the perils of publishing his art.

As sincere as this episode is, it’s also ridiculous. The final sequence of Steven as a faux assassin straight up shooting Mayor Dewey in the chest is absurd both as a situation within the show and as something that was allowed to be on the show itself, but sure enough, Steven Universe manages to give a lone gunman sniping spree an emotionally fulfilling resolution.

This scene proves a core lesson of the episode: just because something’s silly doesn’t mean it’s not art. Buck hits the nail on the head when praising Steven’s drawing for its sincerity and naïveté, even if he’s being a wad about it: the Guitar Dad shirt is awesome because it’s a pure expression of a kid looking up to a parent, even if that expression won’t win any medals for aesthetics (and because it won’t). Steven Universe doesn’t need to prove its artistic merits, and the episode is wise to avoid this path and devolving into meta defensiveness, but I appreciate how its structure demonstrates its message. 

That Buck recognizes Guitar Dad’s merits but sees its meaning in a negative light speaks volumes about his own relationship with his father, as well as the general adolescent obsession with irony. And let’s face it, Buck is mean in this episode. The other teenagers laugh at the shirt, but don’t necessarily laugh at the subject: Sour Cream is a bit of a jerk to Greg, but Jenny seems to honestly appreciate him even if she thinks he’s funny. Lars is easily swayed, having no opinion on the shirt but seeing the value in at least pretending to appreciate it (which certainly lumps him in with real-life folks who feign an appreciation for art for impress people, if you’ll allow me an overanalysis). But Buck is cruel in a way that’s uncomfortable, but not totally out of character.

In Lars and the Cool Kids, Buck is the most enigmatic of the Cool Kids, as per his mirroring of Garnet. As he repeatedly pulls the rug out from under Lars with a straight face, it’s hard to tell how much he’s intentionally messing with the guy. The same goes for his ordering salad at the Big Donut after examining its salad-free displays. He plays it so cool in both situations (and in general) that some of it has to be an act, and he’s perceptive enough that he has to notice Lars’s barefaced need to please, but he’s such a closed book that we can’t get a read on what’s in his head.

We see more of him in Shirt Club than ever before, and while he’s always been friendly to Steven, we really don’t know him all that well. His father’s an obvious sore spot, and seems to be the only thing that can make him completely crack, whether from embarrassment or being genuinely touched (or feeling remorse or feeling more embarrassed, a tear from this guy could mean anything). It makes for a fascinating “villain” when compared to our emotionally open hero, and he’s really the only kind of antagonist an episode like Shirt Club can have.

Regardless, the fact that Buck is still somewhat out of character (he’s utterly kind to Steven everywhere else in the series) is worth noting, because this is one of the last collaborations between storyboarders Lamar Abrams and Hellen Jo before the latter left Steven Universe. While this team is responsible for some terrific episodes and my all-time favorite scene of the series (the ending of Winter Forecast), they’re also behind House Guest and Fusion Cuisine, which are essentially about evil twins pretending to be Greg and Connie. 

For whatever reason, the Abrams/Jo team seems to enjoy bringing out the worst in beloved characters (or inventing negative traits out of nowhere) in ways that wildly diverge from their typical depictions. It allows for drama within a contained story, but in a way that clashes with the consistency of the series; with the exception of Island Adventure and its lesson that emotional and physical abuse is okay sometimes, these kinds of character-nuke episodes are my least favorite. Shirt Club is the best of these divergences by far, in that I can actually deduce Buck’s rationale and because he’s a mysterious character by design, but it’s still an unfortunate trend that happily gets ironed out as the show continues.

(Bear in mind that beyond letting us watch the snow fall, Abrams co-boarded The Answer and Chille Tid and When It Rains, and while it may be a coincidence that each contains a breathtaking scene of a character coming to grips with a scary new environment, I tend to think that he’s really good at framing them. He’s also the only boarder to work on every Onion episode; even if Onion Gang is a dud, Onion as a character certainly isn’t, and I get the feeling we mostly have Abrams to thank for that. I want to give no impressions that this isn’t a brilliant animator.)

Mayor Dewey and the Crystal Gems are here for comic relief, and oh boy do they deliver. Jo and Abrams are brilliant at giving the Gems incongruous background tasks: in Watermelon Steven it’s reading the paper, and here it seems to be assembling IKEA furniture. Their criticisms of Steven’s art and unwillingness to help his strange problem highlight Shirt Club’s casual tone, and they get little moments of self-parody without dipping too deep into meta humor: Garnet’s twinkling shades during a pregnant pause certainly counts, but Amethyst and Pearl’s escalating concerns about Steven’s shirt problem takes the cake.

Mayor Dewey is incredibly, but not unbelievably, lame. Between his outdated slang and his blatant desire to connect with youths (without putting in any actual effort) it’s easy to see Buck’s disdain. Bill’s speech about losing his speech is overshadowed by Steven setting up his sniping position, but is worth paying attention to for Joel Hodgson’s masterful meandering.

And despite his selfish and thoughtless intentions, actually seeing Buck and Steven making shirts is a bunch of fun. It evokes Steven and Greg’s adventures in rocket science from Space Race, but with the wrinkle of Buck demonstrating actual knowledge of the craft to contrast with Steven’s silliness. While the distribution and interpretation of art once it’s complete makes up the episode’s conflict, the creation process itself is joyful and pure, as it should be for a kid making art.

Buck comes around at the end, of course, apologizing to Steven and offering to take guitar lessons. But honestly, the nicer he is to Steven, the weirder his behavior here seems, whether or not he’s a mysterious guy. The best thing I can say about Abrams/Jo character-nuke episodes is that there’s only three of them, and finishing Shirt Club, from that lens, is a huge sigh of relief. 

Future Vision!

The Good Lars not only shows Buck wearing the Guitar Dad shirt, but showing off what he’s learned! And he’ll continue to play guitar as one of Sadie Killer’s Suspects, a band that will eventually be managed by Greg himself.

I guess you could read it that way…

On the one hand, watching this after Joy Ride makes Buck’s cruelty even stranger. But on the other, getting to know him better there, and Bill better in Political Power, makes an examination of their relationship a nice coda.

Tonally, Shirt Club simply doesn’t fit where it’s intended to go. Open Book and Story for Steven at least have their dramatic moments that fit the simmering tension of post-Marble Madness Season 1, but Shirt Club’s lightness thoroughly deflates the momentum. The Gems casually building furniture makes no sense in this time period, and Pearl and Amethyst’s list of fears don’t even hint at them worrying about Homeworld.

Still, the reordering leaves us with pre-Jailbreak Garnet, which is a little confusing without context. (I certainly prioritize this minor continuity error lower than harming dramatic tension.)

Regardless of your opinions about the order shift, I’m happy to say that Shirt Club is the last of it! No more asterisks!

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

Buck’s strange meanness doesn’t tank Shirt Club down to the bottom, but it does make me less inclined to rewatch what’s an otherwise wonderful episode about art. It’s a shame, but there’s still a lot to love when you get shirt!

Top Fifteen

Steven and the Stevens

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

The Return

Jailbreak

Rose’s Scabbard

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Winter Forecast

On the Run

Warp Tour

Maximum Capacity

The Test

Ocean Gem

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

Future Vision

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Story for Steven

Shirt Club

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

Say Uncle

No Thanks!

     4. Horror Club      3. Fusion Cuisine      2. House Guest      1. Island Adventure

[donttouchthegun]

I think that they both have a history with the cult somehow, but I definitely don’t think it’s involvement. Because if it was then their goal would be to get rid of Wynonna so Bulshar would be able to take over, and Nicole could’ve easily done that by now just because she’s so close to Waverly that taking a shot at Wynonna wouldn’t be very hard, plus she’s quite literally sacrificed for them before on multiple occasions, and she even technically did die in the season 1 episode where they had to revive her. Plus, I don’t think Emily would do that to us. She’s been so adamant that LGBTQ+ representation is extremely important to her, and Kat and Dom have been behind her the whole time backing everything she says. The entire cast has honestly, they are so relevant to LGBTQ+ youths (And when I say that I mean both young members or anyone who is newly discovering their identity within the community because it has large appeal to both) and Emily knows how fucked over our community has been before as far as representation and the BYG trope, and they were so excited to be at Clexacon. The entire cast loves WayHaught as well as the writers, and almost all the fans of the show love them as well. They add a huge element to the show that so many viewers relate to, and I would be absolutely shocked to find out that Emily planned on having Nicole be part of the cult or betraying them or anything like that. It would go against everything they’ve stood for through the first two seasons, not to mention the fact that if she was in the cult and pulled a betrayal fans would riot, and they all know that. Maybe Nicole was in the cult, but because she was forced to as a child with her parents, and then as soon as she could she left and it’s why she doesn’t speak to them anymore. That’s my running theory, or at least that they’re involved somehow and that’s where she has her background information on it. Making her actually have been a member of the cult the entire time would pretty much guarantee a tank in their ratings, and in the trust people feel with them. I’m definitely excited and nervous for season 3, and I do think we’re going to find out a lot about Nicole and her past this season and it could easily be a big secret about something, but I feel confident enough in the show that I don’t think they’d try to intentionally ruin WayHaught, or throw something like that into the middle of their relationship. It just doesn’t sound like them or what they stand for.

And as far as Dolls goes, I kind of feel the same way about him. Of course it’s different because it’s not a matter of the BYG trope or LGBTQ+ rep, but he’s been a main character this whole time and he was in Black Badge, which deals with all kinds of supernatral beings and cases. That’s the entire reason for their organization to exist, so I definitely think that he too just has some knowledge on what they’re up against. The only problem I could see him getting into is the same one that Nicole has, which is being confronted for withholding information. I think that’s going to be their biggest issue for awhile is trying to keep it secret, because it seems like he and Nicole both have the same thought of wanting to keep everyone else out of it. It didn’t seem like they were exhanging glances because of something they were doing wrong, it definitely looked more like they knew they had to protect everybody else and keep their friends and loved ones safe.

Anyways now that I have fully ranted I guess I’m finished (Jesus Christ I don’t remember typing half of that but okay 😂)

But yeah main point of it all is that I definitely don’t think either of them are involved in the cult, but their potential background knowledge on it could definitely lead to some conflict in season 3.

Imagine that Nicole’s parents show up and she’s terrified of them and then Nedley and the police force are trying to get them to leave and then Waverly and Wynonna and the gang all step in to help and Waverly just comforts Nicole and it’s just this big romantic scene with them fuck I want season 3 so baddddd 😂😭

[happyhyperbole]

Killing time while my kid intentionally takes forever to eat her dinner in order to delay bedtime: a memoir.

Questions not usually asked

1: Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? I prefer them closed, but leave it partially open so I can hear if my child calls for me.

2: Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel? No, I tend to not like how they make my hair feel. 3: Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? I don’t use the flat sheet, so in (because the fitted sheet goes in. obviously) 4: Have you ever stolen a street sign before? I have not. 5: Do you like to use post-it notes? I use them, but I get neither pleasure nor pain from it.   6: Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? No. 7: Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees? Do I have the option to not get attacked?  I’d prefer to not get attacked. 8: Do you have freckles? In the summer when I’m in the sun a lot. 9: Do you always smile for pictures? No, but if I don’t I either make a ridiculous face (because I’m awkward) or I look PISSED because I have major RBF. 10: What is your biggest pet peeve? Hearing people chew/breathe heavily, drivers who go below the speed limit, when people use the word “irregardless” 11: Do you ever count your steps when you walk? Yes, it’s weird.  Why do I do that!? (12 & 13 are just missing?  OK ,cool.) 14: Do you ever dance even if there's no music playing? Yes.  My daughter & I have dance parties all the time. Music optional.  Her favorite is the Bagel Dance.  That’s the dance you do when you’re preparing a bagel for breakfast. 15: Do you chew your pens and pencils? NO.  I twirl them. 16: How many people have you slept with this week? zero, actually. 17: What size is your bed? king 18: What is your Song of the week? Not Perfect, Tim Minchin 19: Is it okay for guys to wear pink? colors are not gendered.  Wear whatever the hell you want.  20: Do you still watch cartoons? Yeah, sometimes.  I’m a fan of Avatar & My Little Pony.   21: Whats your least favorite movie? Horror movies in general 22: Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some? Hm... probably at my Mom’s 23: What do you drink with dinner? water or pop (but I’m trying to cut that crap) 24: What do you dip a chicken nugget in? depends on my mood... I usually go with BBQ sauce or honey 25: What is your favorite food? I’m going to steal my daughter’s answer for this question: ALL FOOD 26: What movies could you watch over and over and still love? Singing in the Rain, Pride & Prejudice, the Princess Bride 28: Were you ever a boy/girl scout? no 29: Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?  nah 30: When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper? I leave my husband notes (I say “notes” but they often take up a whole page) sometimes because he gets up for work while I’m still sleeping. 31: Can you change the oil on a car? Yes, my dad made sure I knew how to take care of myself.   32: Ever gotten a speeding ticket? HA, yeah... just a couple weeks ago, actually. 33: Ever ran out of gas? Yes.  Thankfully, every time has been while I was on my way to/pulling into the gas station.   34: Favorite kind of sandwich?  I don’t really like sandwiches very much, to be honest.  But if I want one, I want a huge pile of grilled cheese sandwiches :) 35: Best thing to eat for breakfast? eggs scrambled in butter w/ diced avocado.   36: What is your usual bedtime? whenever I get to it. 37: Are you lazy? yes, but I don’t like to be.  I work hard against my natural inclinations. 38: When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? most of the time I didn’t because my mom didn’t take me trick or treating... instead I had to go to our church “harvest party”.  So I generally only went when it fell on the weekends I was at my dad’s.  And I dressed up as whatever I felt like? I really don’t remember.  I’m old. 39: What is your Chinese astrological sign?  uh... my star sign is Cancer & I was born the year of the Dog.  That’s all I know. 40: How many languages can you speak? I speak English (like, super good!). & I limp my way through French in the most painfully embarrassing way.   41: Do you have any magazine subscriptions? no 42: Which are better legos or lincoln logs? Lego 43: Are you stubborn? Absolutely. 44: Who is better...Leno or Letterman? I don’t care. 45: Ever watch soap operas? No 46: Are you afraid of heights? oh yes.  terrified. 47: Do you sing in the car? Always. 48: Do you sing in the shower?  Nope, showers are strictly business. 49: Do you dance in the car? yeah, it’s happened. 50: Ever used a gun?  I have.  But not on a person. 51: Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer? Last November at my sister’s baby shower. 52: Do you think musicals are cheesy? Yes.  I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!! 53: Is Christmas stressful? No.  It’s exhausting, sure (It’s usually AT LEAST 3 full days of celebrating - I have a lot of family).  But I love Christmas! 54: Ever eat a pierogi? You bet I have!  I married a (mostly) Polish guy and live within driving distance of Hamtramck (which, until recently, was a mostly Polish city). 55: Favorite type of fruit pie? apple or cherry 56: Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? teacher, engineer, actor, writer, hockey player 57: Do you believe in ghosts? I don’t claim to know if they exist, but I think it’s unlikely 58: Ever have a Deja-vu feeling? sure 59: Take a vitamin daily? no. I probably should.  But I try to eat a wide variety of whole foods, so hopefully that’s enough 60: Wear slippers? if my feet are cold. 61: Wear a bath robe? nope, I just throw on a hoodie 62: What do you wear to bed?  leggings or pj pants.  and a tank top. 63: First concert? I can’t remember 64: Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart? Target 65: Nike or Adidas? do not care 66: Cheetos Or Fritos? I like them both equally, but I don’t eat them often. 67: Peanuts or Sunflower seeds? eh, neither honestly 68: Ever hear of the group Tres Bien? nope 69: Ever take dance lessons? yes, when I was little.  I was so awkward.  70: Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing? I’m already married. & I don’t care what his profession is. 71: Can you curl your tongue?yes 72: Ever won a spelling bee? nope, but I’ve also never been in one. 73: Have you ever cried because you were so happy? yes, I’ve cried due to a plethora of emotion. 74: Own any record albums? no. 75: Own a record player? no. 76: Regularly burn incense? no. 77: Ever been in love? yes 78: Who would you like to see in concert? Well, last summer my dream of seeing Emery live came true, so honestly if I never go to another concert again, I’d still be happy.  But given the choice, Thrice or Flight of the Conchords  79: What was the last concert you saw? Last August, my husband & I drove 9 hours from SE Michigan to E Philadelphia, PA to see Emery play an exclusive acoustic show with only about 30 other people.  It was in a coffeehouse’s warehouse & it was almost 100*F, but it was hands down the best time ever.  11/10 - would do it again. 80: Hot tea or cold tea? TEA.  any tea.  All the tea! 81: Tea or coffee? see above 82: Sugar or snickerdoodles? yes. 83: Can you swim well? yeah, I suppose 84: Can you hold your breath without holding your nose? yes 85: Are you patient? no. it’s a daily struggle. 86: DJ or band, at a wedding? either is fine. 87: Ever won a contest? once.  during a Red Wing’s game, the station that plays the games on the radio picked my name to win some collector’s CD-ROM thing of Red Wing’s info/trivia/etc.  It seems lame now, but it was 1997 & I never won stuff (still don’t), so to a 15 y/o obsessive Red Wings/hockey fan such as I was, it was effing sweet. 88: Ever have plastic surgery? nope. Just a couple necessary ones... once to fix my shattered ankle (still have 2 plates & 8 pins all up in there) & once to remove the tiny human stuck in my body. 89: Which are better black or green olives? I like both, but prefer green 90: Can you knit or crochet? I can knit 91: Best room for a fireplace? the coldest room 92: Do you want to get married? I am. 93: If married, how long have you been married? almost 7.  We’ve been together for 11, though. 95: Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way? uh, no. I’m an adult.  Though, to be honest, I don’t let my 4 y/o get away with that, so age isn’t completely relevant.    96: Do you have kids? yes, one.  A daughter who is amazing. 97: Do you want kids? well, I have one.  Do I want another?  Sometimes, yes.  Other times, hell no. 98: Whats your favorite color? in general, purple, turquoise, or coral.  To wear, marine blue, royal purple, jade. 99: Do you miss anyone right now? my Grams, always.  my bed (I’m house/dog sitting for my dad). My husband, since he’s lucky enough to be at our house by himself right now.